Log loading machine



y 21, 1963 w. B. NODWELL LOG LOADING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May23, 1960 INVENTOR WILLIAM B.NODWELL.

Y mm ATTO Z/:

y 1963 w. B. NODWELL 3,090,510

LOG LOADING MACHINE Filed May 25, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 m N Q) k 1- "3 7E J O 1 m 7 x //J "3 "3 K t k INVENTOR WILLIAM B. NODWELL ATTORNEYS.

May 21, 1963 w. B. NODWELL LOG LOADING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 FiledMay 23, 1960 S L RL U m N W R D M O OfiT VN T N /A B M A U Lh Y B UnitedStates Patent The present invention relates to loading devices and moreparticularly to log loading devices.

The invention finds particular application in the pulp and paperindustry in areas in which logs have to be transported from the point ofcutting to a central loading area adjacent to a road from where they canbe loaded onto a truck and transported to a mill.

It is standard practice for a wood cutter to pile the cut logs in onecord piles (i.e. 4 ft. x 4 ft. x 8 ft.) thus providing a ready means ofmeasuring production. The present invention is particularly useful forpicking up such piles and transporting them to a central loading areawith a minimum of labor and time.

According to the present invention a loading device comprises guidemeans mounted on a vehicle; a skip mounted for movement on said guidemeans; a winch; a cable, one end of which is attached to said winch, thefree end being threaded through apertured means on said skip and beingprovided with means for operatively engaging the skip to move it alongsaid guide means, the engaging means including a stop element adapted toengage with the apertured means to prevent the free end of the cablefrom unthreading therefrom.

Preferably the guide means comprises a pair of guide rails extendinglongitudinally of the vehicle in side by side spaced relationshipthereon and being provided with downwardly depending terminal portionsoverhanging one end thereof.

Preferably each of the rails has an upper outwardly directed flange anda depending web portion and the skip is provided with a flanged wheeladapted to run on said upper outwardly directed flange and with guiderolls adapted to engage the underside of the upper outwardly directedflange.

In the preferred construction the guide rolls are mounted on leverswhich are pivoted to the wheel axles of the skip.

According to a further feature of the invention, the skip of the devicehas a base frame with an outstanding back stop and a scoop sectionoutstanding from the front end thereof, the scoop section beingsubstantially pointed at its extremity and adapted to fit beneath astacked load to be lifted by the loading device.

The following is a description by way of example of one embodiment ofthe invention, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings inwhich:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of a tracked vehicle with a log-loadingdevice according to the present invention mounted thereon;

FIGURE 1A is a detail in cross-section of the skip as seen in FIGURE 1,the guide spool being indicated with the cable passing therethrough andwith the stop element out of engagement with the spool;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional end view, looking from the rear of the vehicletowards the cab thereof, through part of the skip, one of its flangewheels, one swinging lever and roller, and the associated guide railwith its flange engaged; and

FIGURE 3 is a part detail of the locking means for the free end of thecable as seen from the right hand side in FIGURE 1 looking at the skipin the direction of the cab of the vehicle.

Referring now to the drawings, generally indicates a tracked vehiclehaving a log loading device mounted thereon. The vehicle has a chassis11 mounted on tracks.

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An operators cab 12 is provided at one end of the chassis. Extendinglongitudinally of the chassis and spaced apart thereon are a pair ofguide rails 15. The guide rails each have upper and lower outwardlyextending flanges 16 and 17 respectively united by a web 18. In order toreduce the weight of the rails the webs 18 thereof have holes 20 cuttherein in the usual manner.

The web of each guide rail 15 is tapered to provide an inclined railwhich has a downwardly depending terminal portion 21 overhanging the endof the vehicle chassis. The overhanging end is provided with a cradleend 22 at its outermost extremity.

Mounted for movement on the guide rails is a skip 25. The skip has abase frame 26 of skeletal configuration, an upstanding back stop portion27 and a forward scoop portion 28. Preferably the skip is formed from apair of side members 31) of H-shaped section united by cross tubes 31.

The skip 25 is provided with front and rear transversely extending axles33 on which are mounted flanged wheels 34 in roller bearings 35. At theouter extremities of the axles there are mounted swinging levers 40mounted in bearings 41 and adapted to carry rollers 42 which arearranged to engage with the underside of the upper flange 16.

Thus for normal movement along the rails 15 the skip travels on itsflanged wheels 34 along the upper Web 16 of the rails but when the skipreaches the loading position as shown on the right-hand side of FIGURE1, the skip is restrained from leaving the rails by the action of therollers 42 on the underside of the flanges 16.

Mounted on the chassis 11 directly behind the cab 12 of the vehicle is awinch 45. One end of a cable 46 is attached to the winch and the freeend 47 of the cable is threaded through a guide spool 50. Adjacent thefree end 47 of the cable and rigidly attached thereto is a stop element48. t

The guide spool 50 is cylindrical in nature and is rigidly secured tothe skip 25 at the underside thereof adjacent its inner end. The mouthof the guide spool is arranged to form a seat 52 for the stop member 48Whereby to prevent the cable 26 from unthreading from the guide spool.

Attached to the skip 25 at its end remote from the- 62 is pivotedcentrally to the frame 26 and is attached at one end to an operatedmember on the vacuum diaphragm member 64) and at its other end to alatch element 63 which is pivoted at 65 on a bracket which is attachedto the frame 26.

The latch 63 is provided with a slot 64 through which a pin 66 passes.The pin 66 is secured to the bracket 70 and the limit of travel of thelatch 63 is defined by the slot 64 and the pin 66.

Also swingably mounted at pivot 69 on the bracket 70 is a hook 68. Thehook has a tail portion 69A which engages with the face 63A of the latch63 to cause the hook 68 to retain the chain link 49 provided at the freeend of the cable 47.

In operation the operator backs the vehicle up to a cord of woodgenerally indicated at and stops several feet from the pile. He thenoperates the winch which pays out the cable 46 and permits the skip 25to fall by its own weight along the inclined rail 15 and down onto theterminal portion 21 thereof, until the leading wheel of the skip engageswith the cradle 22 and the skip is supported in that position. Theoperator then disengages the winch and dismounts from the vehicle. Hepulls the cable out over the top of the pile and "by means of a rodpushes the free end of the cable under the logs at or about the midpoint thereof. The operator then attaches the chain link 49 to the hitchmember or hook 68, swings the hook about its pivot 69 to move the'latchback against the bias of a spring (not shown) until the tip of the tail69A passes the end point of the face 63A, the spring then returns thelatch 63 to cause face 63A and tail 69A to engage and lock. Havingremounted the vehicle, the operatorbacks the vehicle up to the pile andreengages the winch to draw in the cable so that the logs are drawntogether and back against the skip. As the winch continues to wind inthe cable, a point is reached where the logs are so firmly packed inplace that the skip starts to raise along the rails and continues untilthe skip reaches its transportation position (as shown on the dottedlines in FIGURE 1) where it is prevented from going further by a stopmember 57. Additional tension is applied to the cable to ensure that thelogs are held in place and the vehicle then proceeds to an unloadingarea.

To unload the vehicle, the operator backs it to the point of unloadingand starts paying out the cable so that the skip runs down the inclineunder gravity until it reaches the down position. The operator operates,the Vacuum diaphragm member 60 to rock the lever 62 and move the latch63 against the spring bias thereby disengaging from the hook 68 andpermitting the cable 47 to drop clear of'the locking means 55. Theoperator then, by engaging the winch draws in the line until it ispulled from under the load By drawing in additional line, the stop 48engages its seat at 52 in the guide spool 50 and additional operation ofthe winch draws the skip back up onto the vehicle. The operator is thenin a position to proceed to reload.

It will be observed that the present invention permits the operation ofthe device by one operator who has to dismount from the vehicle onlyonce during a loading and unloading cycle and enables the vehicle totravel in a loaded condition such that efficient vehicle performance isobtained.

In the following claims, reference has been made to cable and this termis to be understood to include a wire, chain or rope cable, or the like.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A loading device comprising guide means mounted on a vehicle; saidguide means having a downwardly depending terminal portion overhangingone'end of the vehicle; a skip adapted for travel on said guide meansbetween an inner transportation position and an outer loading position;a winch; a cable, one end of which is at tached to the Winch, the freeend being threaded through apertured means on the skip and beingprovided with a stop element adapted to engage with the apertured meansto prevent the free end of the cable from unthreading therefrom; andconnecting means on said skip adapted to releasably secure the free endof the cable to the skip;

. 4 V the skip being arranged for travel from its loading position toits transportation position under the winding-in action of the cablethrough, in the unloaded condition, the cooperative engagement of thestop element and the apertured means, and in the loaded condition, thecooperative engagement of the secured said free end of the cable, passedrestrainingly over a load to be carried, and said connecting means. i

2. A loading device comprising a pair of transversely spaced apartlongitudinally extending guide rails mounted on a vehicle and beingdownwardly inclined throughout their length to terminate in anoverhanging downwardly depending outer portion and each rail having anupper downwardly directed flange and a depending web portion; a skipmounted for travel on said rails, on flange engaging wheels mounted onaxles, between a loading position at the outer portion and atransportation position adjacent the inner ends of the rails, swinginglevers pivoted to said axles at the outer extremities thereof andcarrying the guide rolls adapted to engage the underside of the flanges;a winch; a cable, one end of which is attached to the winch, the freeend being threaded through apertured means on the skip and beingprovidedwith a stop element adapted to engage with the 'apertured means toprevent the free end of the cable from unthreading therefrom; andconnecting means on said skip adapted to releasably secure the free endof the cable to the skip; the skip being arranged for travel from itsloading position to its transportation position under the winding inaction of the cable through; in the unloaded condition, the c0operativeengagement of the stop element and the apertured means, and in theloaded condition, the cooperative engagement of the secured said freeend of the cable, passed restrainingly over a load to becarried, andsaid connecting means.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2 in which the extremity of the terminalportion is provided with a cradle member adapted to engage wheels of theskip and support it whilst in loading position.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which the connecting meanscomprises a power-operated hooking element adapted to. receive the freeend of the cable and retain it thereon against the action of the winchand, on operation, to release the cable, the hooking element beinglocated adjacent the end of the skip remote from the apertured means, 1

5. A device as claimed in claim 4 in which apertured means are locatednear the inner end of the skip.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS f871,887 Pederson Nov. 26, 1907 2,928,561 Faure Mar. 15, 1960 FOREIGNPATENTS 1 484,742 Canada July 8, 1952 1,057,530 France Oct. 28, 1954

1. A LOADING DEVICE COMPRISING GUIDE MEANS MOUNTED ON A VEHICLE; SAID GUIDE MEANS HAVING A DOWNWARDLY DEPENDING TERMINAL PORTION OVERHANGING ONE END OF THE VEHICLE; A SKIP ADAPTED FOR TRAVEL ON SAID GUIDE MEANS BETWEEN AN INNER TRANSPORTATION POSITION AND AN OUTER LOADING POSITION; A WINCH; A CABLE, ONE END OF WHICH IS ATTACHED TO THE WINCH, THE FREE END BEING THREADED THROUGH APERTURED MEANS ON THE SKIP AND BEING PROVIDED WITH A STOP ELEMENT ADAPTED TO ENGAGE WITH THE APERTURED MEANS TO PREVENT THE FREE END OF THE CABLE FROM UNTHREADING THEREFROM; AND CONNECTING MEANS ON SAID SKIP ADAPTED TO RELEASABLY SECURE THE FREE END OF THE CABLE TO THE SKIP; THE SKIP BEING ARRANGED FOR TRAVEL FROM ITS LOADING POSITION TO ITS TRANSPORTATION POSITION UNDER THE WINDING-IN ACTION OF THE CABLE THROUGH, IN THE UNLOADED CONDITION, THE COOPERATIVE ENGAGEMENT OF THE STOP ELEMENT AND THE APERTURED MEANS, AND IN THE LOADED CONDITION, THE COOPERATIVE ENGAGEMENT OF THE SECURED SAID FREE END OF THE CABLE, PASSED RESTRAININGLY OVER A LOAD TO BE CARRIED, AND SAID CONNECTING MEANS. 